This was a really well done mystery novel, it had that element that I was looking for, I enjoyed the way this created a good mystery and thought the characters worked well in this universe. I enjoyed the overall concept and characters in this story. I can't wait to read more from N. R. Daws as this was well done.

A very enjoyable book full of eccentric characters. After a murder of one of the residents at Hampton Court palace, the housekeeper, Mrs Bramble decides that the police officer is incompetent and she would solve the murder. Set in the nineteenth, much is made of the snobbery of 'ladies of social standing ' and their staff. Judging from the ending, I suspect that there will be a sequel. I will definitely look forward to it.

Considering I don't like whodunnits that much I did enjoy this book. I usually prefer a fast paced crime novel however this book was enjoyable.

This was a fun, lighthearted mystery that will satisfy English,, Golden Age fans. Mrs. Bramble was an appealing detective and her interactions with the elderly upper class residents of the Palace were enjoyable. Docked a dtar for being too long, somewhat repetitive and for featuring too many detailed descriptions of Mrs. Bramble’s extensive journeys around the Palace

3.5 stars rounded up. I had high hopes for this book. I am personally a fan of Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse, and I was excited for a mystery set in a palace with the main detective being a housekeeper. I felt this book had many great ideas, but the execution was a bit of a let-down.

The things I liked:
-I really liked the characters. While I did feel they could have been fleshed out more, I especially enjoyed Mrs. Bramble and Reverend Weaver as a detecting duo. I thought the different residents/suspects and their squabbles were entertaining.
-The ending was great. It was very reminiscent of Christie and I was at the edge of my seat. The last 20% was by far the most enjoyable part of the book and I found the way the author wrapped up the mystery very clever. The solution of the mystery took this book from 3 to 3.5-4 stars for me.
-There were some good plot twists, and I enjoyed how well thought out the book was.
-Humor: one of the strongest points of this book was the humor. I loved the bird, I loved the petty squabbles of the residents, and I loved Mrs. Bramble's quick wit.

What I liked less:
-The plot felt rushed at times, and I felt it could have used more exposition. I felt like a lot of the plot was just Mrs. Bramble running around talking to residents, which at times got repetitive and made it difficult to stay engaged keep track of the mystery. At times I felt like Mrs. Bramble was. video game character running around and choosing dialogue options.
-There were certain parts of the book that could have been fleshed out more, for example Mrs. Bramble's worry that the murderer would strike again felt more paranoid than based on evidence.
-The writing was nice at times, but it wasn't a highlight, and often the dialogue felt a little stunted. Bramble did have a nice internal monologue though.

In conclusion, if someone is looking for a good cozy mystery, I would probably recommend one of my five star reads instead of this one, but I certainly wouldn't discourage someone from picking this up if they were interested. Especially if someone is new to mystery and doesn't want to start with something more intense.

What better book to read during the holidays than the coziest of murder mysteries? I was so pleasantly surprised by this and the fluffy comforting atmosphere of the palace and royal courts completely won me over. If you are reading this for the plot, I will say that the mystery itself progresses more slowly but I really wasn't too bothered by it because the characters are such stars. Mrs. Bramble and Reverend Weaver are so charming and fun to follow. Honestly, this wasn't the most memorable or revolutionary read but it was a warm time nonetheless. Also, there's one of those scenes at the end where the entire mystery is explained by our dashing detective Mrs. Bramble, which I always love.